How does plastic get in the ocean?

[welshbairn]

I googled this because I was curious how such a phenomenal amount got there just by blowing in the wind from landfill sites or from stuff like water bottles left on the beach by holiday makers. Turns out there are very different explanations, and a way to massively reduce it could be much simpler than I thought. Just stop dumping rubbish in the river.

The Greenpeace explanation

Another explanation

And a pretty video showing how vital it is to do something.

 

[Sweet Pete]

I put it there.

A wee bit at a time. Whenever I'm at the seaside or walking by a major waterway I drop wee bits of plastic in.

I've been doing it for years.

[NJ2]

What about the bombs they test by launching in to the sea? Surely they do a bit damage. Maybe that could be stopped as well?

[Melanius Mullarkey]

More worrying and arguably more dangerous to humans is how did all that water get into the oceans? 

That's a drowning accident waiting to happen. 

It would be far safer if the oceans were filled with those plastic balls you get at the softplay centres IMO.

[Granny Danger]

47 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

I put it there.

A wee bit at a time. Whenever I'm at the seaside or walking by a major waterway I drop wee bits of plastic in.

I've been doing it for years.

I knew it!

 

[whiskychimp]

I'm ok. The Kilmarnock Water is not one of the rivers on the list. I'll keep throwing in my plastic until we make the top 10. We're coming for you, " The Mekong."

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

Surely most of this plastic is just floating on top of the ocean? I don't really see a problem with that. 

[Nkomo-A-Gogo]

Its all Stings fault. 

[chomp my root]

1 hour ago, Sweet Pete said:

I put it there.

A wee bit at a time. Whenever I'm at the seaside or walking by a major waterway I drop wee bits of plastic in.

I've been doing it for years.

Great Escape style so the hippies don't know its you or are you more overt in a 'f**k you' to hippies everywhere ?

[Sweet Pete]

Just now, chomp my root said:

Great Escape style so the hippies don't know its you or are you more overt in a 'f**k you' to hippies everywhere ?

I just always have wee bits of plastic in my pockets, and need to put them somewhere.

[dirty dingus]

It flumes it's way to the ocean  

[Bairnardo]

2 hours ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

More worrying and arguably more dangerous to humans is how did all that water get into the oceans? 

That's a drowning accident waiting to happen. 

It would be far safer if the oceans were filled with those plastic balls you get at the softplay centres IMO.

Some fanny would just dump all their water in the plastic ocean. Its lose lose

[Melanius Mullarkey]

5 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Some fanny would just dump all their water in the plastic ocean. Its lose lose

That’s a fair point. Maybe someone should think about how to recycle water into a safer more environmentally product like coal or petrol.

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, dirty dingus said:

It flumes it's way to the ocean  

^^^^^  Been looking for an excuse to post that photo.

 

[Newbornbairn]

Scientists say if everyone put two buckets of seawater in the cupboard under the stairs it would stop sea levels rising due to global warming. 

[Cerberus]

China. It comes from China.

 

[Sergeant Wilson]

1 hour ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

That’s a fair point. Maybe someone should think about how to recycle water into a safer more environmentally product like coal or petrol.

Boil it.

[Newbornbairn]

1 hour ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

That’s a fair point. Maybe someone should think about how to recycle water into a safer more environmentally product like coal or petrol.

Dehydrate it into a powder then when you need water you just add some.

[coprolite]

4 hours ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

More worrying and arguably more dangerous to humans is how did all that water get into the oceans? 

That's a drowning accident waiting to happen. 

It would be far safer if the oceans were filled with those plastic balls you get at the softplay centres IMO.

You jest but high levels of Dihydrogen Monoxide are often associated with large bodies of water.

Large doses of this chemical have previously been linked to mass fatalities.  It is found in the bodies of victims of anthrax poisoning and in the lungs of people killed by mustard gas.  This is the real danger.

[ICTJohnboy]

5 hours ago, Sweet Pete said:

I put it there.

A wee bit at a time. Whenever I'm at the seaside or walking by a major waterway I drop wee bits of plastic in.

I've been doing it for years.

 

Did you set fire to Saddleworth Moor?